The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Have You Seen Today?

(Asiana Flight 214 with 3 Denbeste Water Solutions Tanks In The Forefront)

"No matter how many plans you make or how much in control you are, life is always winging it."

~Carroll Bryant

Alan and I went back to BayFront Park, in Milbrea yesterday, to take one last look at the wreckage, still sitting on the runway of Asiana Flight 214. On my first trip, last Saturday afternoon, just hours after the crash took place, I could barely make out the tail portion of the aircraft that had come to rest on the back of the runway. It was late afternoon, and the lighting was very bright, but today I could get a better look at it. It is still a surreal sight to see the tail so far behind where the plane eventually came to rest!

I feel so sorry that all those people had to go through that horrific event. My heart goes out to the flight attendants. Those brave young women preformed miraculously under the depth of pressure that most of us will never, if we are very lucky, experience. Honestly, I am not so much how I would be under those circumstances, but I will never forget how much better the whole situation turned out due to their diligence and response under extreme pressure!

They are absolutely the truest, most elegant examples of heroism!

Here are my photographs from today...

(The Tail Section From Asiana Flight 214 Still Resting On Runway 28L)

(A United Airlines Flight Taxiing Past The Wreckage Of Flight 214)

(The Surreal Sight Of Two Planes So Near Flight 214)

The San Mateo Bridge As Seen From BayFront Park, Milbrea Ca.

Yesterday was my last chance to visit BayFront park, and document for myself the events of last Saturday. Late last night the NTSB allowed airport maintenance to begin removing debris and begin repairing the runway so it can reopen as soon as possible. It's a good thing. It's time to move forward I suppose. It will certainly be much more difficult for some than others. I will always remember this event, and my heart will always sink a little as I drive past the airport. It's simply not something that is easily filed away in my conscience. You know what I mean?

It didn't happen to me. I didn't know anyone in the crash. But in a way it drove home to me just how fragile everything is. I keep thinking about what a gorgeous day last Saturday was. It was one of those days like 9/11 when before I answered Alan's call, telling me the dreadful news, I had a moment to admire the late summer, nearly autumn sunshine, and cool gentle breeze moving my curtains so very gently. When I heard his voice say, "Carly... are you okay?" it made me laugh, because the first thing I thought of was, how could I possibly be otherwise? Have you seen today?

It's going to be a while, maybe years, before we learn what the cause, or causes of the crash of flight 214. I am trying to not make up my mind early, because you just never know what may have gone wrong. I think instead I am going to follow along as information is made available, thank GOD a little more for those I love, and thank GOD once again that there are special people like those flight attendants who keep their wits about them in the face of tragety! We are all better off because of them!

"Courage Is Not The Absence Of Fear, But Rather The Judgement That Something Else Is More Important Than Fear."